The present invention relates to processing and testing of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a method and system for adapting boards used in one burn-in system to another, otherwise incompatible burn-in system.
High temperature operating life (xe2x80x9cHTOLxe2x80x9d) reliability stress testing of semiconductor devices is employed to determine the reliability of semiconductor devices. HTOL utilizes conventional burn-in systems. FIG. 1 depicts such a conventional burn-in system 10. The conventional burn-in system includes an oven 26 having a fan 30 run by a motor 28, a heater 32 and connector sockets 34 and 36. The conventional burn-in system to also includes conventional driver boards and conventional burn-in boards. For clarity, only a single conventional burn-in board 12 and a single driver board 18 are shown. The conventional burn-in board 12 includes multiple sockets 14 into which semiconductor devices to be tested (not shown) are plugged. The conventional burn-in board 12 plugs into the connector socket 34 within the conventional oven 26 via the conventional burn-in board""s connector 16. The conventional driver board 18 is used to provide signals from the outside to the semiconductor devices being tested. The conventional driver board 18 typically includes a clock signal circuit 20, which generates the signals to be provided to the semiconductor devices during the HTOL reliability stress test. In certain conventional burn-in systems, such as the AEHR Test 800 system, the conventional driver board 18 may also include a bias voltage generating circuit 22. In the AEHR Test 800 driver board, the bias voltage generated is a DC voltage. However, conventional driver boards for other conventional burn-in systems, such as the Criteria Rel. Inc. CR-V system, do not have a bias voltage generating circuit on the conventional driver board 18. The conventional driver board 18 plugs into the connector socket 36 outside the conventional oven 26 via the conventional driver board""s connector 24. Thus, in the conventional system 10, the connectors 16 and 24 are configured to be received by the connector sockets 34 and 36, respectively. Note that although a single conventional driver board 18 is shown as driving a single conventional burn-in board 12, in some conventional burn-in systems, the conventional driver board 18 drivers multiple conventional burn-in boards 12. For example, in the Criteria Rel. Inc. CR-V systems, the conventional driver board 18 drives four conventional burn-in boards 12.
Once the conventional driver board 18 and the conventional burn-in board 12 are plugged in, HTOL stress reliability testing can commence. The conventional oven 26 can be heated, typically to between one hundred twenty-five and one hundred fifty degrees Centigrade. During the test, the bias voltage and signals are provided from the conventional driver board 18 to the conventional burn-in board 12 and, therefore, to the semiconductor devices plugged into the sockets 14.
Although the conventional system 10 functions, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the conventional system 10 is not very flexible. In particular, the conventional driver board 18 and the conventional burn-in board 12 are specific to the conventional burn-in system 10 for which they are manufactured. In addition, the conventional driver board 18 is specific to the semiconductor devices for which it was manufactured. The conventional driver board 18 and the conventional burn-in board 12 are provided by the manufacturer of the conventional burn-in system 10. Thus, the configurations of the pins for the connector 24 and for the connector 16 are specific to the particular conventional burn-in system for which the conventional driver board 18 and the conventional burn-in board 12, respectively, are manufactured. Thus, the conventional driver boards 18 for different manufacturers"" conventional burn-in systems 10 are not interchangeable. Similarly, the conventional burn in boards 12 for different manufacturers"" conventional burn-in systems 10 are not interchangeable. In addition, a conventional driver board 18 provides signals for the semiconductor devices desired to be tested. These signals are typically specific to certain semiconductor devices. For example, the conventional driver board 18 provided by the manufacturer includes the circuitry, such as the clock signal circuit 20 and possibly the bias voltage generating circuit 22, required to test specific devices. Consequently, a conventional driver board 18 for certain semiconductor devices cannot be used with different semiconductor devices.
Because the conventional burn-in board 12 and the conventional driver board 18 are specific to certain conventional burn-in systems 10 and because the conventional driver board 18 is specific to certain semiconductor devices, the conventional burn-in system 10 is not flexible. For example, the conventional burn-in system 10 is typically large and very expensive. Thus, different locations for a semiconductor device manufacturer may have different conventional burn-in systems 10. Each conventional burn-in system has its own conventional burn-in boards 12 and driver boards 18. The same semiconductor device may be desired to be tested at different locations having different conventional burn-in systems 10 or by different conventional burn-in systems 10 at the same location. In order to test the same semiconductor devices using a different manufacturers"" conventional burn-in system 10, a new conventional driver board 18 must be ordered for the different conventional burn-in system 10. Such a board is very expensive. For example, a typical conventional driver board 18 may cost as much as $10,000. Ordering and receiving a new conventional driver board 18 also takes a finite amount of time. Thus, testing of semiconductor devices is made more expensive and difficult because of the limited flexibility of the conventional burn-in system 10.
The fact that some conventional burn-in boards 12 contain scrambling circuits (not shown) does not change this conclusion. Such a scrambling circuit is for changing the pins of the semiconductor devices being tested to which signals are provided. This allows for some increased flexibility in the semiconductor devices being tested and the tests performed on such semiconductor devices. However, such a scrambling circuit cannot render a different conventional driver board 18 compatible with the conventional burn-in system 10. Such a scrambling circuit may not be able to account for the different pin configuration of the conventional driver board 18. In addition, such a scrambling circuit may not affect the ability of the connector 24 of the conventional driver board 18 to adequately couple to the connector socket 36. Thus, the conventional driver board 18 of one manufacturer is still incompatible with the conventional burn-in system 10 of another manufacturer. Thus, testing of semiconductor devices on another manufacturer""s conventional burn-in system is still subject to the problems discussed above.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for making burn-in systems more flexible. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention provides a method and system for providing an adapter system for use with a first burn-in system. The first burn-in system includes a heating chamber and a plurality of burn-in boards for use in the heating chamber. Each of the plurality of burn-in boards is for holding a plurality of semiconductor devices for testing in the first burn-in system. Each of the plurality of burn-in boards has a first connector for receiving a plurality of signals for a first portion of the plurality of semiconductor devices. Each of the plurality of signals is received in a first corresponding portion of the first connector. The method and system comprise providing an adaptor card for use with the first burn-in system and a driver board for a second burn-in system. The driver board is incompatible with the first burn-in system and has a second connector for outputting the plurality of signals. Each of the plurality of signals is provided in a second corresponding portion of the second connector. The adaptor card includes a scrambling circuit for providing an interface between the second connector and the first connector such that each of the plurality of signals can be provided from the second corresponding portion of the second connector to the first corresponding portion of the first connector of at least one burn-in board of the plurality of burn-in boards. Thus, the adaptor card allows the driver board to be used in the first burn-in system.
According to the system and method disclosed herein, the present invention provides a mechanism for using the driver board of one burn-in system with a second, incompatible burn-in system.